Sarah Polley warns that Bill C-10 may look good at dinner, but we’ll regret it in the morning

Sarah Polley is in Ottawa today along with a lot of other “Canadian stars” telling the Senate to amend Bill C-10 so as to prevent Tory hacks from yanking film financing after the fact if the content bothers their constituents. Questioned on CBC-TV this morning, Polley said, “Ultimately there are gaps in the thinking here.… Of course, over a dinner party this sounded good, but when we really look at it, it really does amount to censorship…and we will stop at nothing until these provisions are dropped.”

Yikes. Martha Stewart meets Robespierre. Try to imagine a dinner party wherein C-10 seemed like a good idea: there’s Josée Verner and Stephen Harper—and who’s that sitting beside Laureen? Why if it isn’t Satan! Off with their heads!

But seriously, folks, this is one of those stupendously bad ideas that defies—and in fact belittles—rational comment. The Tories are counting on groups like the Canada Family Action Coalition to rise up and smite the leftist urban beast that, for the moment, is keeping them from their rightful majority. Here’s an example of the CFAC’s “thinking” as expressed in that organization’s petition espousing C-10:

The Government proposed Bill C-10—legislation that would require the Heritage Minister or a committee to set some Canadian decency standards before approving funding. The film industry is outraged about this. Why? Several groups said that not receiving such funding would violate the Charter. The Charter does NOT grant the film industry entitlement to your tax money. That is a socialist entitlement mentality that taxpayers reject.

“Socialist entitlement mentality”? Who writes their stuff? Roy Cohn risen from the grave?